The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted light activated control system, particularly, but not exclusively, for use in vehicles to control a warning device.
At present there is no legal obligation in many countries to provide warning lights for vehicles parked at night in built-up areas, despite the fact that street lighting, especially in minor roads, is often insufficient and visibility is often reduced temporarily, even in major roads by, for example, bad weather conditions or headlight glare from oncoming vehicles. This results in a number of accidents due to vehicles colliding at night with unlit parked vehicles.
At present vehicle owners are reluctant to light parked vehicles overnight since the only effective method is to leave the sidelights on, with consequent drain on the battery. An object of the present invention is to provide a light activated control system which will operate a warning device, such as the sidelights of a stationary vehicle, only in response to a change in light level, for example due to the light from headlights of an approaching vehicle.